Eating Healthy in College

Over the past week or so, I have had no energy. I've felt worse than I ever have. I tried to keep up with when I started to feel bad so that I could find the culprit, and I realized it was the food that had been making me feel so bad. Since this semester started, I have been on a traditional broke college student diet, which consists of the cheapest things I could find (Ramen Noodles). Ramen noodles, potato chips, cookies, and Little Debbie brownies. Who has time for a real meal, right? I have a meal plan, and in a way, that makes things worse. I have access to an all-you-can-eat buffet. With desserts. And pop. Since I'm paying a ton of money for it, I might as well get my money's worth, right? Wrong. My body has felt so bad the past few days, and it is just not worth it. Here is my pledge: I'm  going to start being healthier. If you're in the same boat as me, here are some of the challenges I want to try, and you can do them too.

1.) Don't drink pop. I know well before I drink it that it's going to make me feel bad. What do I do? I drink it anyway. About 30 minutes later I'm thinking, "Why on earth did I do that?" I know a lot of people preach, "MODERATION, MODERATION, MODERATION!" I can't do that. For example, if I cut down to one snack a week, that craving is still there. One time I didn't eat a (unhealthy) snack for about a month, and I had ZERO cravings. Well, I thought moderation was okay, so I got a unhealthy snack. That broke the cycle, and I still haven't started back. Darn brownies. Anyway, everyone is different, so moderation could be okay for you. Just do what feels right for your body.

2.) Water. Water. Water. I drink water quite often now, but I'm challenging myself to drink a lot more. How much should you drink? A lot of people throw out exact amounts, but I just listen to my body and check my pee. If your pee is pretty light, you are probably drinking enough water.

3.) Do not buy food just because it is cheap. I have had so much Ramen Noodles lately, it's ridiculous. It's so hard to buy the more expensive food when you're in college. (You probably know where I am coming from.) Of course, you should look at the price, but also look at the nutrition label. I'm challenging myself to not buy food based on price until I look at the nutrition label.

4.) Cut out processed food. Okay, this is hard. I know. I'm not saying completely cut it out. Just try to eat more natural things. Well, that's hard too. Especially when all you can eat is something that is microwavable. Try to find healthier processed food, if that's even a thing.

5.) Check nutrition labels. This goes along with what I have already said. Do some research and get an idea of  what exactly should be on the nutrition label for it to be healthy.

6.) Eat healthy fast food. There is no such thing as healthy fast food that I know of. That's why it's fast. I know that totally contradicts what I just said, but just hold on. You can find nutrition labels for a ton of fast food restaurants online. Before you go out to eat, check these out. See what looks the healthiest or what you can do to make it healthier. I'm going to start taking off one of the buns off of my sandwiches. Ask for low fat mayonnaise. I know a lot of people think getting salads at restaurants is healthy, but if you cover it with dressing, it may even be worse. Sorry.

7.) Eat more fruits and veggies. This goes along with cutting out processed food, but try to eat more fruits and veggies. This is something I'm trying very hard to do. I don't like many vegetables, so it's kind of hard for me, but I am going to eat more of what I do like. They are so healthy for you in so many ways. And when I say veggies, I don't mean go get some potato chips because they're made of potatoes. I wish that would work, but trust me, it doesn't.

8.) Make time to eat healthy. This is so hard in college. You try to work around your schedule to eat, and it just doesn't work. You end up snacking before one class just so you can make it to your next class and not be starving. You're up late doing your paper last minute. You will get hungry. It's unavoidable. Plan out what you're going to eat throughout the day. If you have some free time, try to prepare something, like a turkey wrap, that you can just grab and take with you that's a healthier option.

9.) Don't stress eat. I'm guilty as charged. If I'm stressed out, I'll just nibble on potato chips or something throughout the day. I'll eat a whole pack of cookies (slight exaggeration). I'm going to start waiting a few minutes after I get pretty hungry, just to see if I stay hungry. If I don't stay hungry, I was probably just craving it because I was stressed. Your body can  trick you into thinking you're hungry. Just give it a little while, and you will be able to tell if you was actually hungry or not.

10.) Don't buy it. If unhealthy food is in your dorm, you're more than likely going to eat it. If it's not there, you can't eat it. Take advantage of buying your own groceries.

If you are in the same boat as I am, I hope this works for you. I'm no dietitian, but I guarantee this will make you feel better. It makes even help you shed some pounds.

Leave a comment below if something not listed helps you.